Regional Programme Coordinator, LACRO, Panama City, P-5

The Position:

The Regional Programme Coordinator post is located in the Latin American and the Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) and reports directly to the Deputy Regional Director who provides overall leadership. S/he is the coordinator of all functions related to the regional programme and provides support on operational and managerial issues. The Regional Programme Coordinator is part of a team providing integrated programme support to the subregional office and country offices in the region. The Regional Programme Coordinator ensures the coherent operation and implementation of the regional programme, through development and oversight of management and coordination mechanisms for the regional programme, ensuring coherent programming among humanitarian and development contexts. 

 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

 

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

 

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

 

Job Purpose:

The Regional Programme Coordinator ensures the effective and coherent operation and implementation of the Regional Programme by providing essential operational and managerial support. 

In all activities, s/he fosters collaboration within the Regional Office, particularly with: the Regional Office programme team providing integrated programme,  and operational support; with programme staff in Sub-Regional and Country Offices; with the Policy and Strategy Division, including Humanitarian Response Division, Knowledge Management and the Regional Desk; and, with other HQ Divisions, ensuring the timeliness, adequacy, relevance and quality of support to countries. 

You would be responsible for:

• Coordination for effective implementation of the Regional Programme
• Oversight of the Regional Programme
• Programme Management support, including Knowledge Management
• Amplifying the scale and use of generated knowledge products to benefit all countries
• Technical and programmatic advisory support to countries, partners and UNFPA country offices.

Primary Responsibilities:

I. Coordination for effective implementation of the Regional Programme

• Support the design, implementation, and management of the regional programme ensuring compliance with the UNFPA Strategic Plan, global strategies and UNFPA policies and guidelines;
• Provide support to the alignment of Regional and Country Programmes with UNFPA’s Strategic Plan and analyze constraints to attainment of programming goals and objectives in the region.
• Lead the development of RO´s Results and Resources Plan, ensuring alignment of Regional and Country Programmes priorities and complementarities between the regional and global programmes; 
• Ensure the establishment and well-functioning of coordination mechanisms, including regional networks, for effective and efficient implementation of the Regional Programme, ensuring integrated programming among development, humanitarian and peace-building efforts.
• Strengthen and manage networks, partnerships and collaborations with regional institutions and with other UN agencies on programming matters in partnership with the RO/COs/SROs;
• Maintains a continuous flow of information with government and donors, and pursue innovative ways to maintain and create new partnerships; participates in the UN system joint initiatives in the Region as part of broader UN Reform initiatives; provides substantive inputs to facilitate policy dialogue and incorporation of these policies into regional and national plans and strategies;
• Advise the Regional Director and  Deputy Regional Director on regional programme related matters, representing UNFPA LACRO on regional programming issues in relevant task forces, working groups and other relevant spaces, ensuring the incorporation of UNFPA and ICPD issues;
• Ensure that strategic and accurate programme-related information and analysis is provided to RO activities in advocacy, communications, policy dialogue, resource mobilization, etc., in collaboration with the Regional Communication Advisor and the Regional Resource Mobilization Advisor.
• Ensure guidance for the Cos to use the integrated approach on effective and efficient policy, advocacy, programming and operations across development, humanitarian and peace-responsive efforts.
• Scaling up the application of good practices and knowledge products from joint and thematic programmes to deliver a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health package through a gender-transformative approaches.
• Promote the use of geospatial analysis and georeferenced data to account for population changes and megatrends and ensure that sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, gender equality and sustainable development are integrated into policies and planning documents.
• Support the design of strategies at country level, multi-countries clusters and at regional level to accelerate results of the Strategic Plan in the region.

 

II. Oversight of the Regional Programme

• Coordinate the implementation of all activities related to the regional programme, ensuring programmatic oversight of RO, SRO and COs work;
• Ensure(substantive and financial) monitoring and reporting of the regional programme, in collaboration with the Regional M&E Adviser;
• Lead the development and implementation of mechanisms and tools (i.e. regional dashboard with key programmatic and operational indicators, mid-year meetings, among others) to strengthen monitoring and oversight of ROs and COs programmatic and operational performance.
• Participate in the Regional Risk Management Committee (R-RMC), ensuring identification and monitoring of programmatic and operational risks, in close collaboration with the International Operations Manager.

 

III. Programme Management Support, including Knowledge Management and innovation: 

• Coordinate the effective and efficient functioning of the integrated technical support platform to ensure timely and quality response to COs demands for support, based on established and agreed upon criteria and protocols;
• In partnership with the Regional Advisers, ensure that state-of-the-art programming knowledge and lessons learned are documented, incorporated into the UNFPA knowledge sharing system and available for use in countries to improve evidence-based policy dialogue and the effectiveness of UNFPA programmes
• Ensure the implementation of the regional innovation strategy and the mainstreaming of innovation in the design and implementation of regional, subregional, and country programmes in the region
• Contribute to the regional resource mobilization strategy by consolidating partnerships with current donors and/or supporting efforts to identify and establish partnerships with new prospect donors;
• As a key member of the Regional Publishing Group and in close collaboration with the Regional Communications Adviser, regularly review proposals for regional publications, ensuring their programmatic relevance and technical accuracy.
• Support, establish and manage platforms, such as centres of excellence, for experience-sharing between and among countries facilitating leadership at the regional level.

 

IV. People Management & Leadership: 

• Promote a learning environment and systematic information sharing within the regional programme unit and across teams. Ensure effective knowledge management strategies are implemented, capturing lessons learned and best practices for future planning; address training needs of CO personnel on critical programme issues.
• Supervise and guide the Regional Programme staff and ensure high standard of staff management within the team using a participatory and constructive style
• Foster a culture of open communication and transparency, and maintain a motivated workforce.
• Identify talent and mentor and/or coach staff for career development.

 

V. Work Relations 

• External partners include UN agencies, donor and programme countries, regional organizations and institutions including Economic Commissions in order to: maintain and foster networks and partnerships; build capacity; and, promote South-South cooperation.
• Internal partners include Regional and sub-regional programme and technical staff; UNFPA country office Representatives and programme and technical staff; Programme Division; TD, and IERD, to ensure integrated programme and technical support in line with the needs of countries; applying guidelines; sharing knowledge; and mobilizing resources.
• In all activities, s/he fosters collaboration within the Regional Office, particularly with the team providing integrated programme and technical support; with programme and technical staff in Sub-Regional and Country Offices; with the Programme Division, including Humanitarian Response Division, Knowledge Management and the Regional Desk Adviser; and, with other HQ Divisions, ensuring the timeliness, adequacy, relevance and quality of programming support to countries.
• Promote, provide guidance, and build capacity on result-based management in programming;
• Organize programme-related skill capacity building activities with country office staff, regional and national partners and counterparts, and civil society partners;
• Coach and supervise professional staff and associates, direct expert consultants and facilitate working groups and task teams; and

 

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Advanced University Degree or equivalent in public health, medicine, sociology, demography, gender, economics, international relations, international development, public administration, management or other related field.

Knowledge and Experience:

• 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in development programmes, of which seven years at the international level.
• 10 years progressively responsible national and international professional experience in sexual and reproductive health, population and development, gender, advocacy, management and evaluation.
• Strong track record of leadership, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results
• Substantive knowledge and practical experience in population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender;
• Extensive network within the development community
• Experience in programme and/or technical assistance with the UN System
• UN inter-agency experience in a strong asset
• Familiarity with Power BI or technology-driven business intelligence tools for analyzing and visualizing data
• Knowledge of financial analysis tools of Cost Benefit and Cost Effectiveness of programmes and public policies
• Knowledge of applying artificial intelligence to programming and data analysis is an asset;
• Familiarity with ICT/ERP and other management and monitoring tools is an asset;
• Field experience is required

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Spanish is required. 
• Knowledge of Portuguese or French would be considered an advantage.

 

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

 

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Functional Competencies:

• Advocacy / advancing a policy-oriented agenda - influencing the public policy agenda; demonstrates political/cultural acumen in proposing sound/evidence-based approaches/solutions.
• Results-based programme development and management - makes use of a variety of resources within UNFPA to achieve results, such as cross-functional teams, secondments, and development assignments, and collaborative funding approaches.
• Innovation and marketing of new approaches – creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking.
• Job knowledge/technical expertise – keeps abreast of new developments in the area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally. 
   

Managerial Competencies (if applicable):

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

 

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.